11 Home Remedies For Head Lice

Head lice are tiny, wingless grayish-brown insects, about 2.5 mm long that infest, live, breed and feed on the scalp of human beings. Though head lice infection is a common occurrence but school going children get particularly affected by this problem.Head lice live on host’s blood, which they get by biting the scalp. These bites can cause intense itching and irritation on the scalp along with visible red lumps on the scalp and on the neck area. Immediate treatment is necessary as lice can be transmitted easily from one affected person to the other, even though these parasites cannot fly. Anyone can pick up head lice, if he or she comes in close contact with another person infected with head lice. Children easily get affected while playing, sharing secrets or spending time with each other.The sharing of combs, brushes, bedding, clothing and caps can transmit head lice. A close look through the hair and scalp can detect head lice. Locating the lice may be a bit difficult as they move quickly; but presence of nits on the scalp confirms infestation of lice.

Tips To Cure Head Lice Naturally

Tea Tree Oil

Mix tea tree oil with water and put the solution in a spray bottle. Now spray the solution thoroughly on the scalp and your hair. Cover your hair with a towel for 15-20 minutes; then wash off as usual. Adding few drops of tea tree oil in your shampoo can prevent your hair from getting infested with lice. You can also apply tea tree oil after mixing it with olive oil. After the application, remove dead lice using a nit comb. Repeat the application twice a week to get rid of lice and nits completely.

Vinegar

Use distilled vinegar to rinse your hair as it is very effective for killing lice. Leave vinegar on your hair for a while and then wash with plain water thoroughly. After rinsing, apply coconut oil and comb out the dead lice and nits with a nit comb. Apple cider vinegar can also be used to lice and nits. Another way to treat lice is to mix mineral oil to vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of mineral oil to 4 tablespoons of vinegar. Apply on the scalp and hair. Leave for an hour and rinse with plain water. Next day, apply vinegar and rinse off your hair. Then remove the lice and nits using a nit comb. After following this treatment, shampoo your hair as usual. This is especially effective for long hair.

Neem Oil

Essential Oil Mix

Prepare a mixture of essential oils by mixing 5 drops of tea tree oil, 10 drops of eucalyptus oil, 20 drops of rosemary oil and 20 drops of lavender oil. Mix these oils with 100 ml of vegetable oil and apply on the scalp and hair; leave for 1 hour. After one hour, comb out your hair to remove dead lice and nits.

Listerine

Listerine antiseptic mouth wash is also very effective for killing lice and nits. Apply Listerine on your scalp and hair. Leave overnight. Next morning, rinse with cold water.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is one of the best and safest remedies for treating lice infestation. Olive oil is very sticky and when applied on the hair and scalp, it suffocates the louse and kills them. To clear up the lice infestation, apply olive oil in such a way that your hair gets completely saturated. Wait for 15-20 minutes and comb your hair with a nit comb to remove dead lice and nits. Shampoo your hair as usual to remove excess oil. Wash your clothes thoroughly before reusing them.

Onion Juice

Apply onion juice on your scalp and hair and leave it for 3-4 hours. After removing the dead lice and nits, shampoo your hair. Repeat the treatment after 3-4 days. This is one of the most effective home remedies for treating lice infestation. Just like onion juice, paste made of garlic and lemon can also be used to kill lice and nits and get rid of them completely.

Mashed Apple

Though applying mashed apple on your head is quite messy, but it works effectively to get you rid of irritating lice infestation. So mash an apple and apply all over your head in such a way that it covers your hair completely. Wash your hair after an hour.

Butter

In 2-3 spoons of butter, add 2-3 drops of lemon juice. Apply all over your head and leave it for 15-20 minutes. Wash your hair and comb out the dead lice and nits.

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Mayonnaise

Lubricate your scalp with mayonnaise and massage until the whole scalp gets covered. Wear a shower cap and leave it for two hours. The procedure is undoubtedly messy but this will help to suffocate the lice and unglue the nits. After combing the hair with a nit comb, wash off thoroughly using hot water and soap to cut out the grease from the hair and then use regular shampoo. Repeat the process after few days to completely eliminate lice and nit from your hair. If no live lice are found on the comb, it means you have overcome the problem of lice infestation. For lubricating your hair, you can also use Vaseline or olive oil. Do not forget to treat other family member as well, even if they don’t have an infestation problem currently. Rinse the nit comb thoroughly using hot soapy water.

Treating Your Home

Treating the home will be a laborious task, but it is necessary in order to eliminate the lice completely. Wash all the bed linens your family members were using during infestation with hot soapy water. Vacuum the furniture and the floor. Soft toys can also be treated by placing them in a plastic bag. The key is to try to eliminate all the possible sources of infestation.